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The term of the Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities expired on March 18, 2016.

Commissioner’s Blog

Ending Fatalities Is Within Our Reach

Filed in Commissioner’s Blog By on March 18, 2016

Posted March 18, 2016 by David Sanders, Chairman

In his final blog post, Chairman Sanders describes how he believes the Commission’s proposed strategy and recommendations will save lives.

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Protecting Children Today and Envisioning a Stronger Child Welfare System for the Future

Filed in Commissioner’s Blog By on February 8, 2016

Posted February 8, 2016 by David Sanders, Chairman

As the Commission nears the end of its work on the issue of child abuse and neglect fatalities, it is clear that there are no simple answers to this complex challenge.

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Eliminating Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities: Creating a National Strategy for Change

Filed in Commissioner’s Blog By on November 2, 2015

Posted November 2, 2015 by David Sanders, Chairman

Ivan, a 2-year-old boy in Los Angeles, died from internal bleeding when his 19-year-old mother beat him. Child welfare, the medical system and law enforcement all knew about previous injuries to this child, but they failed to act to save him…

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Why Do We Study Near Fatalities?

Filed in Commissioner’s Blog By on March 10, 2015

Posted March 10, 2015 by David Sanders, Chairman

We all agree that it is important to study fatal events of child abuse and neglect in order to improve our ability to prevent future deaths. But new research suggests that studying near-fatal events of child abuse also may be very important. This is because near fatalities are similar to fatalities in almost every way that we can measure them…

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Child Safety Is a Community Responsibility

Filed in Commissioner’s Blog By on December 15, 2014
Child Safety Is a Community Responsibility

Posted December 15, 2014 by David Sanders, Chairman

When child protective services is involved with a family, the child’s safety is the first concern. But too often, we hear stories of children dying who were known to child protective services (CPS), some even while receiving in-home or out-of-home services. …

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Because Every Child Counts

Filed in Commissioner’s Blog By on September 19, 2014
Because Every Child Counts

Posted September 19, 2014 by David Sanders, Chairman

We can all agree: One death from child abuse or neglect is one too many. Yet we have spent considerable time during our last several public meetings, including our meeting in Plymouth, Mich., on August 28, trying to understand exactly how many children die from abuse and neglect in the United States each year…

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Confidentiality and Transparency: A Delicate Balance

Filed in Commissioner’s Blog By on August 7, 2014
Confidentiality and Transparency: A Delicate Balance

Posted August 7, 2014 by David Sanders, Chairman

On July 10, my fellow Commissioners and I gathered in Tampa, Florida for our second public state meeting to examine national policy, research, and state approaches to identifying, preventing, and eliminating child abuse and neglect fatalities…

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Our Work Begins: Finding the Right Questions

Filed in Commissioner’s Blog By on June 26, 2014
Our Work Begins: Finding the Right Questions

Posted June 26, 2014 by David Sanders, Chairman

On June 2–3, the Commission held its first state public meeting in San Antonio, Texas, at the invitation of Congressman Lloyd Doggett, author of the 2012 Protect Our Kids Act. The meeting was a major achievement in our efforts to launch and promote a national dialogue…

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We Cannot Do This Work Alone

Filed in Commissioner’s Blog By on May 30, 2014

Posted June 1, 2014 by David Sanders, Chairman

It is my great privilege to introduce myself as chairman of the Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities (CECANF). My fellow commissioners and I are committed to fulfilling our mandate to develop a national strategy and recommendations for reducing fatalities resulting from child abuse and neglect.

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